Transcript Chapter 9 — Manifest Destiny

U.S. History, Chapter 9:
Manifest Destiny 1835-1848
".... the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of
the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great
experiment of liberty and federaltive development of self government entrusted to us.
It is right such as that of the tree to the space of air and the earth suitable for the full
expansion of its principle and destiny of growth."
- John L. O'Sullivan (1845)
• In 1800 less than 400,000 settlers lived west of
the Appalachian Mountains. By the time the Civil
War began, more Americans lived west of the
Appalachians than lived along the Atlantic coast
United States, 1850
New Agricultural Technology
• Farming in the Midwest was made easier by
new farming technology:
– In 1819 Jethro Wood patented a plow with an
iron blade. In 1837 John Deere designed a plow
with sharp-edged steel blades that cut cleanly
through the tough Midwestern sod.
– In 1834 Cyrus McCormick patented the
mechanical reaper.
How the Midwest Became the
Breadbasket of the World
Settlement in California
• Mexico controlled California, but its distance
from Mexico City made it difficult to govern.
• In 1839 the governor of California wanted to
attract more settlers,
– Granted 50,000 acres in Sacramento Valley to a
German immigrant, John Sutter.
– Sutter built a trading post and cattle ranch on his
land.
Oregon Trail or Where in the World is
Carmen San Diego?
• Pioneers who headed to the Pacific from the east
had to cross difficult terrain.
• Mountain men:
– Kit Carson and Jim Bridger
– made their living by trapping and selling the furs to
traders.
– gained knowledge of the territory and the Native
Americans who lived there.
– By the 1840s, the mountain men had carved out
several east-west passages, such as the Oregon Trail.
Surrey with a Fringe on Top
• At first, wagon trains hired mountain men to
guide them. After the trails became worn, most
overlanders—those who traveled west in wagon
trains—used guidebooks written by earlier
emigrants.
Donner Pass Today
• In 1846 the Donner
Party—a group of 87
overlanders named
after the brothers
who led them—were
trapped by winter
snows in the Sierra
Nevada. Almost half
the party died of
starvation.
Was it worth the risk?
War with Mexico
• President Tyler pushed a resolution through
Congress that annexed Texas.
• Mexico broke diplomatic relations with the
United States government.
• Mexico and the U.S. government disputed the
location of Texas’s southwestern border.
• In November 1845, a special envoy was sent to
Mexico City as a representative, to purchase
California.
• Mexico’s president refused to meet with him.
The United
States wanted
the border
with Mexico to
follow the line
of the Rio
Grande River
Opening Shots
• After Mexico refused to discuss the U.S.
purchase of California, President Polk
ordered troops led by General Zachary
Taylor to cross the Nueces River.
• Mexicans saw this as an invasion of their
country.
• A Mexican force attacked Taylor’s men. Polk
declared war with Mexico.
A Splendid Little Dirty War
A String of Victories Secures Vast
Territory for the United States
• U.S. naval forces took possession of California for
the United States in 1846
• Mexico City was captured on September 14, 1847
• On February 2, 1848, leaders signed the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo
– Mexico gave up 500,000 square miles of land (10X the
size of Illinois)
– U.S. paid Mexico $15 Million for the land
Was
Grant
Right?